


The Secret Invasion: Brothers in Arms

by solarstar_moonlight



Category: GOT7
Genre: Eventual Smut, I wasn't subtle, M/M, So don't worry, blood and gore at times, but its a soft reboot, but mostly demon blood and gore so, idk if it even counts, no points for guessing it was inspired partly by Persona 5, technically part of a series
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-07-05
Packaged: 2020-05-14 09:02:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19270033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/solarstar_moonlight/pseuds/solarstar_moonlight
Summary: You can never close your eyes to the truth you know is out there...Jinyoung never expected the tiny town of Mirage Valley to be secretly infested with demons, and he certainly never expected to be the key to stopping them





	1. Chapter 1

_“Attention passengers, we’ll be making a quick stop in Mirage Valley in about 15 minutes.  Feel free to get off the bus and stretch your legs.  Don’t think there will be anyone getting off there,”_

 

Jinyoung sighed to himself as he finally put his book away.  From everything he’d heard, Mirage Valley was nothing more than a small town where old people went to retire.  He wasn’t particularly excited about the idea of moving there, but after the loss of his mother he had no choice.  His father had lived in the tiny town for the entirety of Jinyoung’s young life, so they had no real relationship at all.  It wasn’t _all_ doom and gloom; at least he could get away from the horribly dangerous streets of Blackmont City.

 

The bus came to a stop at the small station; it wasn’t even a building, just a bench with a sign next to it.  The bus slowly emptied out with people taking smoke breaks and just walking around aimlessly.  Jinyoung pulled his luggage from under the bus and ignored the confused looks of the other passengers (no doubt wondering why the hell he’d be getting off in a place like that).  He slowly made his way into town, pulling his suitcase behind him as he went.  He knew he was supposed to call his dad to pick him up, but he had the address saved in his phone and he could use the fresh air.

 

He had to admit, the town was beautiful.  Lush, green rolling hills were all over the place and most of the houses looked like nice little cottages.  Natural rivers cut through the landscape with beautifully sculpted stone bridges going over them.  He stopped for a moment and smiled when a beautiful blue butterfly fluttered around his face.  Its wings seemed to sparkle in the sunlight as it flew and he found it somehow comforting.

 

After he was done drinking in the sights, he continued on to the address in his phone.  The center of town was a bit different from the hilly outskirts; there was a litany of small shops including bookstores, restaurants, and thrift stores.  Still, despite how many businesses he saw, he couldn’t find the address he was looking for; it was supposed to be the location of his father’s coffee shop, but he couldn’t find it anywhere.  Eventually he gave up looking for it on his own and approached a group of other teenagers gathered around the entrance to an arcade.

 

“Uh, excuse me,” Jinyoung spoke up, somewhat sheepishly; he’d never been good at introductions.  One of the taller boys turned around, revealing a youthful face and messy black hair.  He had a small, but noticeable mole under his left eye and the moment he saw Jinyoung his lips curved into a smile.

 

“Hi there,” he said, “you must be new here,”

 

“How’d you know?”

 

“Well the luggage kinda gave it away,” the boy replied with a chuckle, “I’m Yugyeom.  Welcome to Mirage Valley,”

 

“Thanks, I’m Jinyoung,”

 

“Oh! You must be Chief’s son,” Yugyeom said as the realization hit him, “I should’ve noticed the resemblance,”

 

“Chief?” Jinyoung parroted, confused by the nickname.

 

“Oh, it’s what everyone calls the guys who owns the Elysium Café.  He’s a nice guy, kinda reclusive but still nice.  It was weird when he started telling everyone about his son Jinyoung that was moving to town,”

 

“Ah,” Jinyoung replied, not really knowing what else to say, “well, I’m actually trying to find the café right now, but I don’t seem to be having any luck,”

 

“Oh yeah its in a weird spot,” Yugyeom pointed to an alleyway across the street, “it’s in the alley between Jericho Booksellers and the $1 theater,”

 

“Thank you, Yugyeom,” Jinyoung said with a nod, “do you go to Megami-Tensei Academy? That’s where I’ll be going starting tomorrow,”

 

Yugyeom and the other teens giggled a bit.

 

“Everyone goes there.  It’s the only high school in town,”

 

“Oh, I probably should’ve figured that,” Jinyoung said, feeling like a huge idiot, “well… I guess I’ll see you around,”

 

“Sure thing,” Yugyeom replied with a wave.  Before he departed, Jinyoung couldn’t help but notice that the sparkling butterfly from before had landed on the other boy’s shoulder.  Jinyoung made his way across the street and into the alley and surely enough he saw it; Elysium Café.  It was a simply decorated shop; a purple awning was placed over the door and the window had a small wooden sign with the café’s name printed on it.  Taking a deep breath, Jinyoung made his way inside.

 

The interior was just as quaint as the outside; it was dimly lit and the booths were upholstered with a worn red leather.  A small TV sat in the corner (Jinyoung couldn’t help but notice that it was one of the really old ones.  The kind with the big back) and the scent of coffee filled the air.

 

“Jinyoung, is that you?” a voice called from a small room in the back of the shop.

 

“Yeah, it’s me,”

 

A man emerged from the room with a broom in his hands.  He wore a form-fitting black shirt with a red apron draped over it.  When Jinyoung saw his face, the resemblance that Yugyeom mentioned was clear.  He was almost a spitting image of a younger version of his dad, though he’d never quite realized it even with the pictures he’d seen.

 

“Man, you sure have grown since the last time I saw you,” his father raid with a warm smile, “you didn’t need a ride from the bus station?”

 

“Oh, uh, no,” Jinyoung shook his head, “the walk was quiet and nice.  Thanks for offering though… dad,”

 

Jinyoung was surprised at how awkward the word “dad” sounded coming out of his mouth.  He could always say “mom” without a second thought, but dad sounded so… strange.  It seemed like his dad noticed it, since he cracked a smile.

 

“You don’t have to call me dad Jinyoung, you’re practically an adult now.  You can just call me Rain,”

 

“Rain… alright, that works,” Jinyoung replied.  That was definitely more comfortable.

 

“Well, I guess I should show you to your room,” Rain said, leaning the broom against the wall, “follow me,”

 

Jinyoung followed Rain to some stairs and down into the basement.

 

“My room is here in the store?” Jinyoung wondered aloud as Rain flipped on the light, revealing the cluttered basement.

 

“Yeah.  My place doesn’t have any space at all, barely enough for me.  Besides, I figured that you’d like a bit of privacy… unfortunately I didn’t have time to clean up ahead of time, but there’s a couch you can sleep on and I’m sure there’s a TV and a retro game system around here somewhere,”

 

“Well then… I guess I’ll get to work cleaning up this mess,” Jinyoung said through clenched teeth.  He was well aware that Rain’s parenting skills would probably be less than stellar, but he didn’t think it would be that bad.

 

“I’m gonna go and man the shop, but tonight I can take you out to dinner or something,”

 

“Maybe some other time? I’m sure I’ll be pretty tired by then,” Jinyoung replied.

 

“Oh yeah of course.  Well, I’ll see you later Jinyoung.  I’m glad you made it here okay,” Rain said, heading back upstairs and leaving Jinyoung alone in the basement.  Over the next five hours Jinyoung cleaned the entire basement; he sorted boxes, dusted shelves and mopped the filthy, sticky floor.  Eventually he managed to find the TV and game system and he even found a place to store his clothes.  Once he was done he sat down on the couch and exhaled heavily.

 

Once he had a moment to catch his breath, he couldn’t help but start to tear up; losing his mom was the worst thing that ever happened to him, and it seemed like the hurt only kept spiraling.  As if it wasn’t enough that he never even got to say goodbye to her, now he had to live with a man he didn’t even know and try to pick up the pieces of his shattered life.

 

All he could do was hope that somehow his first day of school would go well enough to make him forget about the heartache he was currently experiencing, although that didn’t seem very likely.  The last thing Jinyoung saw before he inadvertently fell asleep was the same bright blue butterfly landing on the small window on high on the wall on the other side of the room…


	2. Chapter 2

Jinyoung stumbled through the front doors of Megami-Tensei Academy, sweaty and out of breath.  He was so tired from cleaning up the basement that he completely missed his alarm, making him late for his first day at a new school.  It was almost like the universe itself was conspiring against him or something.  He eventually he located his classroom and headed inside, his stomach sinking when he realized just how late he was.  Students were already split off into groups and working on an assignment of some sort.

 

 

“You must be the new student; Park Jinyoung, right?” the teacher asked.  Jinyoung was surprised at how young and handsome he was.  For some reason he imagined all teachers to be old, crusty and out of touch with the fashion of the last hundred years.  But this teacher, Mr. Lee according to his nametag, reminded Jinyoung of a runway model.  As a matter of fact, Mr. Lee looked quite a bit like a slightly younger version of Rain.

 

“Yes, I’m Jinyoung.  I’m so sorry I’m late I just,”

 

“You don’t need to explain yourself,” Mr. Lee cut him off, “every student gets three strikes.  We’re examining the themes of the literary classic, Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy.  You can group up with the guys at that table back there,”

 

Jinyoung nodded and quickly made his way to the long table in the back of the room.  He instantly recognized Yugyeom from the day before, but he’d never seen the other two boys before.  There was one of them that instantly caught his attention; the extremely handsome boy with the leather jacket and dark brown hair.  He gave off an aura of intimidation, but there was something else in his eyes that Jinyoung couldn’t quite place.

 

“Oh, hey Jinyoung!” Yugyeom said with a bright smile, “guys this is Jinyoung, Chief’s son.  Jinyoung this is Bambam and Jaebum,”

 

Jaebum; that was the name of the insanely attractive guy that Jinyoung hadn’t stopped staring at from the moment he walked up to the table.  _Jaebum_ ; Jinyoung replayed it in his mind.  It was a really nice name.

 

“It’s nice to meet you Jinyoung!” Bambam spoke up, finally breaking Jinyoung’s focus on Jaebum, “here, you can sit next to me!”

 

Jinyoung nodded and took the seat between Bambam and Jaebum, trying his hardest not to blush like a tomato.

 

“So Jinyoung,” Jaebum spoke.  His voice was cool and even, a stark contrast to the excitement and energy of Yugyeom and Bambam, “have you ever read this before?”

 

“Only the first part, Inferno,” Jinyoung admitted, “it’s really kinda messed up.  The medieval idea of Hell is certainly something to fear,”

 

“I think it reflects the general darkness of the time.  Besides, the fear of damnation was the strongest tool the Catholic Church had to control the people with back then,” Jaebum quickly replied.  Jinyoung was somewhat floored; back at his old school he often felt like the only student that could bothered with reading anything that wasn’t a clickbait article on a celebrity gossip website.

 

“You’re… pretty smart,” Jinyoung said, failing to stop the blush from overtaking his cheeks.

 

“He likes to think so,” Yugyeom interjected with a smile, “he’s just the only one that can get through this boring shit,”

 

“There’s a word for you guys. Uncultured,” Jaebum said with a smile; a smile that made Jinyoung’s heart skip like… seven beats in a row.  It was so bright and it overtook his entire face in a way that Jinyoung had never really seen.  It showed in his eyes and melted his cold demeanor into mush.  In a word, it was breathtaking.

 

“Oh shut up!” Bambam fired back, tossing an eraser at Jaebum who swiftly dodged it with reflexes like a cat, allowing the pink utensil to bounce fruitlessly off the wall behind him, “damn it.  I forgot you move like you’re in The Matrix or something,”

 

Jinyoung found himself smiling too; the energy between the other boys was infectious and calming.  Usually he found that he was incredibly awkward when meeting new people, but he felt quite comfortable with this group.

 

“So Jinyoung, where are you from?” Yugyeom asked, “anywhere exciting?”

 

“Blackmont City, up north,” Jinyoung shrugged, “the whole place is a shithole,”

 

“So I’ve heard,” Jaebum said, “the only thing about Blackmont you see online are murder statistics,”

 

Jinyoung shuddered a bit; he was well aware.  To him, it was more than just a statistic.  More visceral than numbers on a screen.  It was tangible.  It was his mother.

 

“Yeah… lots of crime,” he finally pulled himself together enough to reply, “I assume not much happens here though,”

 

“Well actually,” Bambam spoke up, his voice sounding a bit… uneasy, “there have been some disappearances lately.  But they’re not normal,”

 

“How so?”

 

“Well, the people only end up missing for about 48 hours and then they turn back up at home like nothing ever happened,”

 

“That’s really weird,” Jinyoung admitted.  He’d never heard anything like it before, and it was a tad unsettling to say the least.

 

“Don’t scare Jinyoung out of town already,” Yugyeom said with a giggle, “I promise there’s nothing to be worried about,”

 

“Alright class, time for your group project assignment!” Mr. Lee’s voice echoed through the room, distracting everyone from their conversations, “you’ll need to write an essay on the themes of each part of the Divine Comedy; Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso.  Explain how they’re similar and how they differ.  You have two weeks to get together and get it done,”

 

The entire class except for Jinyoung and Jaebum descended into a chorus of groans.  Yugyeom buried his face in his hands and Bambam sighed with the exasperation of a middle-aged father.

 

“I don’t suppose you two will be willing to write the essay for us?” he offered an overly-cute expression, but Jinyoung and Jaebum weren’t amused.

 

“Hell no dude.  I’m tired of pulling all the weight during group projects,” Jaebum protested.

 

“Fiiine,” Bambam whined, “we’ll help put, but only if you drive us to Mark’s party tonight,”

 

“Why do I have to drive? Yugyeom has his dad’s pick-up truck,”

 

“Yeah but we’ll be wasted or high or both by the end of the night and I can’t wreck the truck again.  Dad will literally murder me,” Yugyeom interjected.

 

“Ugh, fine.  But only if Jinyoung comes with us,”

 

Jinyoung’s eyes widened so much they almost fell out of his skull.

 

“M-me? You want me to come to a party with you?” Jinyoung stuttered in response.

 

“Yeah.  You’re smart and fun to talk to.  It’ll be nice,” Jaebum said, flashing another smile.

 

“W-well okay, sure,” Jinyoung gulped, “I’d love to come along with you guys,”

 

“So it’s settled then.  I’ll pick you up tonight,”

 

…

 

Jinyoung stood in front of the floor length mirror in his basement bedroom, awkwardly looking himself over.  He had no idea what to wear to a party; the only ones he’d ever been to were for his own birthday.  After an hour and a half of searching through his vintage trunk full of clothes (seriously, why did rain have a giant vintage trunk that looked like a treasure chest just sitting in the basement of his coffee shop?), he finally settled on a black turtleneck and navy blue jeans that hugged his behind just well enough to accentuate its… plumpness.

 

As he was staring into the mirror, he heard the sound of his phone beeping; it was a text from Jaebum.

 

_From: Cutie JB_

_I’m outside the coffee shop_

 

Slightly panicking, Jinyoung quickly drafted a response and grabbed the key that Rain gave him before bolting up the stairs and outside.  He was moving so quickly that he tripped over the concrete stoop outside the front door and tumbled to the ground right in front of Jaebum’s car…

 

Smooth.

 

“You okay?” Jaebum asked, stepping out of the car to help Jinyoung to his feet.

 

“Yeah… just a little embarrassed,” Jinyoung sheepishly replied.  Jaebum couldn’t help but smile, turning his eyes into those cute little crescents that Jinyoung loved so much.

 

“Don’t be embarrassed,” Jaebum’s smile turned to a look of awe as Jinyoung stood up and brushed off his pants, “wow… you look great,”

 

“Oh,” there was that stupid blush again, “thank you, I just kinda threw this outfit together,”

 

“Well you did a great job,” Jaebum subtly bit his bottom lip, making Jinyoung’s breath hitch in his throat, “anyway, let’s get going.  We’ve gotta get Yugyeom and Bambam,”

 

Jinyoung shyly nodded as he climbed in the passenger’s seat of Jaebum’s car.  It was old and beat up, but still kind of charming despite that.  It was the kind of car you’d never see anyone driving back in Blackmont; Jinyoung found it refreshing.

 

They rode in silence down the dark country road for a while, until Jaebum finally spoke up.

 

“So, what made you move to a place like Mirage Valley? Tired of the big city life?”

 

Jinyoung’s blood ran cold.  He wasn’t quite sure what he should say, but after a moment of hesitation, he settled on the truth.

 

“Actually… my mom died a few months ago. Double homicide,” Jinyoung quietly admitted.  Jaebum gasped, clearly taken aback.

 

“Jinyoung… I’m so sorry, I swear I had no idea,”

 

“It’s okay Jaebum,” Jinyoung assured him, “I’m fine… I’ll be fine,”

 

Jaebum simply nodded as they arrived at Yugyeom’s house; an old farmhouse surrounded by nearly a mile of open fields.  Yugyeom and Bambam ran out the front door and excitedly hopped into the backseat.

 

“Hey, Jinyoung actually came! This party is gonna be awesome dude,” Bambam said, slightly slurring his words.  It was clear that the two had already been drinking.

 

“I’m gonna have a headache by the end of the night, I can tell,” Jaebum teased as they pulled off.  Yugyeom and Bambam went back and forth between loudly singing along to the radio and arguing over who looked hotter in their skin tight pants while Jaebum struggled to focus on the road.  Eventually they arrived at the party; a secluded affair hidden deep in the woods.

 

The scene was insane; Bluetooth speakers were littered about, blasting music through the area loud enough to mask the sound of the small generators that were powering the lights strung up in the trees.  Smoke hung heavy in the air while what seemed like every teenager in town moved in sloppy rhythm with the music.  Jinyoung couldn’t lie; parties like this weren’t really his thing, but if it meant spending more time with Jaebum he’d make the most of it.

 

As soon as they approached the main group, a skinny guy with chocolate brown hair broke apart from the crowd and came to meet them.  He was wearing a pink tank top with arm holes big enough to reveal part of his torso, along with a pair of black skinny jeans.  He looked way too… polished to live in a town like this.

 

“Hey guys, glad you could make it.  Ah, you must be Jinyoung.  Gotta say, you’re prettier than I imagined,” the boy said, winking at Jinyoung.  Jaebum slapped him on the shoulder.

 

“Jeez cool it Mark.  You just met him, don’t treat him like a piece of meat,”

 

“Sorry, sorry, I’ve had a few beers already.  My name’s Mark Tuan, it’s nice to officially meet you Jinyoung,” Mark extended his hand and Jinyoung shook it.

 

“Nice to meet you too Mark,”

 

“Let’s fucking party!” Yugyeom yelled, grabbing two beers from one of the many small coolers on the ground and tossing one to Bambam.

 

“It’s a bit loud here isn’t it? I wanna show you something Jinyoung,” Jaebum said, tentatively taking Jinyoung’s hand and leading him away from the party.  They walked for a while through the woods until Jinyoung couldn’t hear the sounds of the music anymore.

 

“Where are we going Jaebum?”

 

“You’ll see in just a second,” Jaebum said as he continued to lead Jinyoung through the brush, “right here,”

 

Before them was a calm river, snaking down the mountainside and flowing right through the woods, effectively cutting them in half.  With the full moon positioned high in the sky, it made the water shine a beautiful pristine white color.

 

“Wow… it’s amazing,” Jinyoung said, awestruck.

 

“I know.  I used to come here a lot to just think and be alone.  I know you’re probably still hurting from losing your mom, and I know no one ever comes out here so… you know, if you ever need some space,”

 

“Jaebum that’s incredibly thoughtful.  Thank you,”

 

Before Jaebum could even reply, Jinyoung noticed the small blue butterfly that he had seen the previous day fluttering around them.  In the dark of night, its wings seemed to glow like a miniature sapphire-colored star.  Strangely enough, Jaebum didn’t even seem to see it, despite it landing on the tip of his nose.

 

“Do I have something on my face?” Jaebum asked once he noticed that Jinyoung was staring.

 

“It’s…” Jinyoung’s sentence was cut off by the sound of a deep, guttural growl coming from somewhere nearby, “wait, what the hell was that?”

 

“I don’t know, but I definitely heard it too,” Jaebum said, moving his head and causing the butterfly to flutter away as quickly as it had appeared.

 

“Do you think it was a bear or something?”

 

“No bears around here,” Jaebum confidently replied, “maybe we should head back to the party,”

 

“Good idea,”

 

As they turned around to return to the party, Jinyoung could’ve sworn he saw a pair of glowing red eyes staring at them in the darkness.  Before he could react though, he was tackled to the ground with extreme force.  He let out a sharp cry as he hit the ground, but it quickly turned into a scream when he realized what was on top of him.

 

Whatever it was had thick, black fur and a snout almost like a dog.  But its jaw was overflowing with alligator-like teeth and a pair of twisting goat horns were sprouting from the top of its head.  Its body was humanoid in shape and incredibly muscular, and each of its hands ended in razor sharp talons.  Without even opening its mouth, the creature spoke to Jinyoung, but its voice echoed in his head like the ringing of a fire alarm.

 

_"You don't stink like a human,"_ **the beast's voice painfully ripped through Jinyoung's mind,** _"you stink like the angels. What the fuck are you?"_

 

“Jaebum help me!” Jinyoung frantically screamed as tears streamed down his cheeks.  Jaebum grabbed the largest stick he could find and beat the creature over the head with it, but it didn’t seem to do anything but piss the monster off.  The beast growled and stood up, releasing Jinyoung and staring Jaebum down.  The other young man stepped back, pressing his back against a tree as the creature approached him.  Before it could attack him, a single gunshot rung out, stopping the creature in its tracks.  A moment later it fell to its knees as black blood poured out of a wound in its head that was previously unseen.

 

A man in a black hood dropped down from a nearby tree and walked up to the beast, pulling an engraved knife from a sheath on his hip.

 

“Alright you goatfucker, you’ve got a solid thirty seconds before that enchanted bullet kills you.  Tell me what you bastards are planning and why you’ve been abducting people instead of just ripping them apart like you usually do,”

 

Jinyoung couldn’t hear the beast’s reply, but whatever it was must’ve been unsatisfying.  Without hesitation, the man sliced his knife through the monster’s throat and ripped its head clean off, throwing it to the ground as its body collapsed.

 

“What… the fuck… was that thing?” Jaebum asked, finally catching his breath after holding it for so long.

 

“A demon.  There’s an infestation of them in this town,” the man replied, turning to face the boys.  Jinyoung could only make out the lower half of his face, but it looked incredibly familiar.

 

“A demon? Like an _actual_ demon?” Jinyoung wondered aloud.

 

“Yes Jinyoung, an actual demon.  I didn’t want you to be exposed to any of this, but I guess it’s in our blood,”

 

Jinyoung was confused, at least until the man removed his hood and revealed his face…

 

“Wait… Rain?”


	3. Chapter 3

Jinyoung sat in the Elysium Café, tapping his fingers on one of the tables while staring down into a cup of steaming hot coffee.  Jaebum sat across from him, just as silent and confused as he was.  Rain was sitting on one of the bar stools, twisting left and right without saying a word.  Eventually, he finally broke the silence.

 

“You haven’t touched your coffee,”

 

“Seriously?” Jinyoung instantly fired back, taking Rain somewhat by surprise, “you bring us back here and make us fucking coffee? After all that? And then you expect us to just, drink up and pretend like anything about this is normal?”

 

Rain sighed.

 

“Listen, I know there’s a lot to explain…”

 

“Absolutely!”

 

“So I guess now it goes without saying. Angels, demons, monsters… all that shit’s real,” Rain began, “there are lots of things in this world that love nothing more than ripping humans limb from limb.  People like me fight against those things and keep people safe.  It’s our job,”

 

“So, there are others… like you?” Jaebum finally spoke, his voice somewhat shaky.

 

“Yeah, lots of us… well, used to be a lot more honestly,” Rain admitted, “we’re all part of a secret organization called the Slayer Order.  It dates back thousands of years, and our family was responsible for establishing the branch here in America,”

 

“So that’s what you meant when you said ‘it’s in our blood’,” Jinyoung shook his head, “this is fucking insane,”

 

“Believe me kiddo, it gets even more insane,” Rain continued, “the demons around here are more organized than any I’ve ever dealt with.  They don’t seem to be interested in killing for the sake of it, instead they’re abducting people for a period of about 2 days and then returning them to their homes, seemingly unharmed,”

 

“That must be what Bambam was talking about,” Jinyoung mumbled, “keep explaining,”

 

“Well, I was told about the infestation about 14 years ago when you were just a toddler.  I didn’t want to leave you and your mom, and I’d tried to leave this life behind,” Rain looked longingly at a photo of himself and another young man that he shared quite a bit of resemblance with, “but I couldn’t.  I couldn’t just let people suffer.  It’s not what _he_ would’ve done,”

 

“Who?” Jinyoung wondered.  Rain grabbed the photo and handed it to Jinyoung.

 

“You never got to meet him but, that’s your uncle Joon.  We used to be in this together, back when I was young and in my prime.  He uh… he’s not around anymore; he sacrificed himself in a pretty nasty battle we were in.  There was a dragon and everything,”

 

“Seriously, a dragon?”

 

“I swear, three heads and everything,” Rain smiled softly, “he was one hell of a Slayer.  Things just weren’t the same without him.  Besides, I met your mother not long afterwards and the next thing I knew I had a son on the way.  It seemed like the perfect time to just be normal,”

 

“So the reason why you’ve been here my entire life is because you’ve been protecting these people?”

 

“Yeah.  I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you the truth Jinyoung, and I’m sorry I couldn’t be there to watch you grow up… and to say goodbye to your mother.  She was one hell of a woman,”

 

“Yeah,” Jinyoung fought the urge to tear up, “yeah, she was,”

 

“This is… a lot to take in,” Jaebum said solemnly, “I feel like I should thank you. You know, for doing all of this for our town,”

 

“Like I said, just doing my job,” Rain replied with a shrug.  Jinyoung was distracted by the sound of someone coming through the door.  To his surprise it was none other than his teacher, Mr. Lee.  There was also teenage boy with him that Jinyoung didn’t recognize.

 

“Rain, I just got your message.  Sorry it took me so long to get over here, Youngjae sleeps like the dead,” Mr. Lee said, patting Rain on the shoulder, “so, you’ve already told them everything?”

 

“Yeah, everything we know,” Rain said.

 

“Wait, Mr. Lee’s a Slayer too?” Jinyoung asked, bewildered. 

 

“Not just a Slayer.  I’m your uncle Jinyoung, Rain’s half-brother.  And please, call me Junho, Mr. Lee sounds kinda gross,”

 

“What the hell man,” Jinyoung rubbed his forehead in frustration, “anything else I need to know?”

 

“You’ve gotta meet your cousin, Youngjae.  There’s a whole lot more weird shit to digest,” Rain said, motioning to the teenage boy standing quietly at the door.

 

“Hi,” the boy said, “I’m Youngjae.  One day I’ll be a Slayer too, but for now I help with weapons,”

 

“How?” Jaebum asked.

 

“I can use magic.  Dad says it’s a natural gift.  I’m not really a fighter, but I can make enchanted metal that can kill demons,”

 

“So now there’s magic too? Does this town have its own fucking Hogwarts I should be aware of?” Jinyoung groaned.

 

“Listen Jinyoung, I know it’s a lot to handle all at once,” Rain said, sitting in the booth next to Jinyoung, “but there’s a reason I’m telling you all of this.  As much as I hate to admit it, Junho and I are getting old,”

 

“Speak for yourself grandpa,” Junho flashed a sassy smirk.  Rain rolled his eyes.

 

“This fight never ends kiddo.  It started long before any of us were born and it’ll continue long after we’re all dead.  Eventually, we’re gonna have to pass the torch to the next generation,”

 

  
“So you’re saying, you want me to become a Slayer?” Jinyoung gasped.

 

“I do, if you’ll let me train you.  The choice is 100% yours though, I’m not forcing you to do anything you don’t want to, alright?”

 

Jinyoung was absolutely floored; his entire world had just been turned upside down and now Rain was asking him to become some kind of demon hunter? It was absolutely fucking insane, but at the same time… he couldn’t picture himself saying anything but…

 

“I’ll do it,”

 

“You will?!” Jaebum said, shocked, “Jinyoung, you saw that thing back there in the woods right?”

 

“I did… and that’s why I have to do this,” Jinyoung said, “I can’t just let those things do whatever they want.  And maybe this will help stop those disappearances,”

 

“You’re crazy as hell Park Jinyoung, you know that?” Jaebum shook his head, “I knew there was something interesting about you.  Hey Chief, is this just a family operation or can I join too?”

 

“What?” Jinyoung was taken aback, “you want to join too?”

 

“Yeah.  I mean, this is my town too and it’s not like I can just forget about all of this now,”

 

“You cannot close your eyes to the truth you know is out there,” Youngjae said calmly as he read from a book that Jinyoung swore he wasn’t carrying before, “it’s a noble reason for wanting to join our cause,”

 

“I suppose you can join us Jaebum, but I hope you realize the danger,” Rain said, “this isn’t a game,”

 

“Trust me, I know.  That thing almost killed both of us back there.  This is all over my head, but if there’s anything I can do to help, then count me in,”

 

“I can write up a brief history of the Slayer Order and give them a supernatural encyclopedia to study,” Junho offered, “I’ll let you focus on the combat training,”

 

“History lessons and encyclopedias? That sounds like homework.” Jinyoung rolled his eyes.

 

“Well, I _am_ a teacher,” Junho said with a smile.

 

“Tomorrow I’ll close up the shop early.  You two come here after school and I’ll give you your first lesson,” Rain said, “now Jaebum you should probably get home,”

 

“Good idea.  I’ll see you tomorrow Jinyoung,”

 

“See you later Jaebum,” Jinyoung replied as the other boy left the coffee shop.  It went without saying that his evening had taken a strange turn, but something about his decision to join the Slayer Order just felt… right.  It helped reassure him that the bright blue butterfly was perched on the glass door of the café, moving its wings ever so slightly.  He had no idea where the thing came from, or why Jaebum hadn’t noticed it earlier, but it had a way of making him feel at peace.

 

And peace was something that would likely be in short supply in the days to come.


	4. Chapter 4

The early autumn air brought with it a slight chill as Jinyoung made his way to school.  He was incredibly tired from being up all night alternating between reading Dante Alighieri’s Purgatorio and combing through page after page of the supernatural encyclopedia Junho had given him a few days prior.  Balancing school with his Slayer training seemed like an impossible task, but every time he wanted to give up, Jaebum was there with a warm smile and some words of encouragement.

 

Megami-Tensei Academy’s courtyard was buzzing like it was every other morning; students were separated into a bunch of different groups, mostly talking about their upcoming weekend plans or complaining about how ridiculously difficult their homework had been.  It didn’t take long for Jinyoung to spot Jaebum; he was sitting casually on a bench, surrounded by Yugyeom, Bambam, Mark and Jackson (Mark’s on/off boyfriend).

 

“Morning everyone,” Jinyoung said, the tiredness apparent in his voice.

 

“Man you look rough,” Bambam replied, raising an eyebrow, “you been getting enough sleep?”

 

“Not exactly,” Jinyoung said flatly, “it’s hard pulling most of the weight on our group project,”

 

“Hey that’s not true!” Yugyeom interjected, “Me and Bambam are working on writing the summary of the Paradiso,”

 

“Yeah, I know… sorry guys, I’m just cranky from sleep deprivation,”

 

“Why don’t you skip class and just get some rest man,” Jackson spoke up, shrugging his shoulders as he lit his cigarette.

 

“Can’t.  I have a big history test in 3rd period,” Jinyoung sighed, “hopefully I won’t fall asleep in the middle of it,”

 

“I won’t let that happen,” Jaebum got up from the bench and moved closer to Jinyoung, slinging an arm over his shoulder, “meet me in the library at lunch and I’ll bring you a coffee and we can have a quick cram session,”

 

Jinyoung’s face was flushed red just from Jaebum’s arm being on his shoulder.  He was trying to stop it, but he couldn’t help it; Jaebum made him feel all sorts of emotions he had no way to handle.

 

“That uh, that sounds great,” Jinyoung said with a shy smile. Jaebum gave him a nod just as the bell rang, signaling that 1st period would begin in 10 minutes, “I guess we should get moving.  Junh- I mean, Mr. Lee will give us a strike if we’re late,”

 

With that, the boys joined the other students as they filed into the school.  The first two periods went by painfully slowly, but the next thing Jinyoung knew it was lunchtime.  He walked with the speed of a zombie until he reached the library, where he found a nice secluded spot in the back corner of the room.  The library was never completely empty, but there were so few students in there at any given time that it often felt that way. 

 

Before Jinyoung could fall asleep sitting up, Jaebum appeared and sat an iced coffee on the table in front of him.  Jinyoung looked up at him and smiled in gratitude before taking a sip from it.  It tasted absolutely perfect; though he had no idea how Jaebum knew exactly what to order.

 

“Thank you so much, this will work wonders,”

 

“No problem Jinyoung,” Jaebum replied, taking a seat across from him.  He opened up his backpack and pulled out his history textbook, “so, which particular subjects do you wanna brush up on?”

 

“Actually,” Jinyoung began, fishing the supernatural encyclopedia out of his own bag, “history isn’t what I need a refresher course on.  I need to make sure I’m retaining the information in this thing.  Its like the bible but twice as thick and three times as complicated,”

 

“Ah, gotcha,” Jaebum knowingly nodded, “I actually made some flash cards to help myself remember.  Wanna try them out?”

 

“That’s perfect!”

 

Jaebum retrieved the multicolored cards from another pocket of his backpack and rattled off the first question.

 

“Okay, for starters we’ll do a three-in-one question.  How many demon races were there at the beginning of the slayer order, what were they, and how many are left?”

 

Jinyoung’s mind went completely blank the moment the words left Jaebum’s lips.  Before he freaked out though, he closed his eyes and focused.  He knew he’d read the information before, he just had to dig it out from the pile of other crap he’d learned.

 

“Okay I think I know this one.  There originally were 13 demon races; vampires, werewolves, ghosts, goblins, minotaurs, merfolk, gargoyles, undead, giants, dragons, chimeras, faeries and the most dangerous, pure demons.  Now there is only one race left, the pure demons,”

 

Jaebum clapped at Jinyoung’s knowledge; a beautiful smile stretched across his even more beautiful face.

 

“Great job! Alright, next one.  What was responsible for wiping out most of the demon races?”

 

“The Endwar!”

 

“And that was?”

 

“A massive war between the Slayer Order and the forces of the underworld about 30 years ago,”

 

“See dude, you’ve got this stuff down,” Jaebum leaned a little closer and lightly touched Jinyoung’s hand, “so relax a little okay? Make sure you get enough sleep later on,”

 

“I will, thank you Jaebum,”

 

“Anytime Jinyoung, that’s what friends are for,”

 

…

 

Jinyoung practically stumbled through the door of the Elysium Café after what felt like the longest day of all time.  There were no customers at the moment, but Rain was still standing behind the counter, diligently cleaning some cups while grinding some fresh coffee beans.  The strong scent of rich coffee filled the entire space as Jinyoung plopped down on one of the barstools.

 

“Hey Jinyoung, how was your day?” Rain asked, humming a tune as he continued his cleaning.

 

“Super slow.  I’m so, so tired,” Jinyoung admitted, resting his head on the counter.  Rain sat down the glass he was cleaning and joined Jinyoung on the other side of the counter.  He took a seat on the adjacent barstool and patted Jinyoung’s shoulder.

 

“I know it can be rough doing the whole, student by day, Slayer by night thing.  I had to do it myself way back when.  You’ve just gotta find a nice balance, and don’t be afraid to sleep as much as you can.  The rest keeps you fresh and focused, which can mean the difference between life and death out there in the field,” Rain said.  Jinyoung only nodded slowly; he was so sleepy that he could barely even form coherent thoughts.

 

“Hey dad… I mean, Rain?”

 

“What’s up kid?”

 

“I’m super exhausted… do you mind making me a little something for dinner?”

 

“Sure thing.  Mac and cheese sound good?” Rain replied with a soft smile.

 

“Yeah. It’s my favorite,” Jinyoung stifled a yawn as he spoke.  As the time passed he could smell the food being prepared for him in the café’s kitchen, but even that wasn’t enough to stop him from drifting off to sleep.

 

…

 

Yugyeom whistled to himself as he carried a bag of trash out of his house and to the garbage can on the other side of the yard.  It was pitch dark outside, but he could still see where he was going thanks to the light of the moon.  Once he was done with his chores he was supposed to head over to Bambam’s place and finish writing up the summary for their project, so he was trying to get everything finished as soon as possible.

 

He dropped the trash in the can and turned around to head back inside… which was when he came face to face with something unlike anything he’d ever seen.

 

Whatever it was stood about a foot taller than Yugyeom, and its body was covered in coarse black fur, like a bear or something.  Goat horns stuck out of the top of its head, and it had a pair of faintly glowing red eyes.  Yugyeom stopped in his tracks; he had no idea what kind of animal it could be.  He really should’ve paid more attention in ecology class.

 

“E-easy there big guy. You probably just want what’s in the trash, right?” Yugyeom said, his voice shaking as his spoke.  The creature cocked its head to the side.

 

_“The only thing I’m here for is you,”_

The words ripped through Yugyeom’s head like someone had just hit him with an axe, causing him to drop to his knees in agonizing pain.  The moment he hit the ground, the creature stalked over to him and placed its clawed hand over his face, obscuring his vision and muffling his screams.

 

Yugyeom’s father stepped out onto the front porch after about ten minutes, flipping on the light to see where his son had gone.  It was strange, but there was no sign of Yugyeom anywhere, despite the pick-up truck still being parked in the driveway.  Usually he wouldn’t be too worried, but with all the disappearances in town lately, he couldn’t help but wonder…


	5. Chapter 5

Jinyoung walked through the front doors of Pizza Pasta Galaxy and was instantly greeted by the smell of Italian food from the kitchen.  Despite how small Mirage Valley was, there were still quite a few restaurants he hadn’t visited yet.  He’d received an urgent text from Jaebum telling him to show up there, but he didn’t see the other boy anywhere.

 

“Hey Jinyoung!” a familiar voice called out, prompting Jinyoung to turn his head to see Mark exiting the staff room wearing a black apron, “you here by yourself?”

 

“Oh, hi Mark.  I was actually supposed to be meeting Jaebum here but I don’t think he’s here yet,”

 

“Oh, JB’s out back,” Mark said, “follow me,”

 

Mark took Jinyoung through the staff room and to the back alley behind the restaurant where Jaebum was leaning against the wall, wearing an apron similar to Mark’s and smoking a cigarette.  His hair was messy and there were noticeable bags under his eyes; in short, he looked like hell.

 

“Jaebum, you alright?” Jinyoung asked, trying to hide the worry in his voice.

 

“Give us a minute Mark,” Jaebum said, dropping the cigarette and stomping it out.  Mark looked back and forth between them for a moment before nodding and heading back inside, “sorry I didn’t meet you inside, I didn’t expect you to get here so fast,”

 

“It’s fine,” Jinyoung shrugged.  Honestly, he showed up so fast because he’d hoped Jaebum was asking him there on a date.  But clearly that wasn’t the case, “so, what’s up?”

 

“It’s Yugyeom,” Jaebum said in a hushed tone, “he’s been missing since last night.  His dad called my parents and asked if we’d seen him… I think it might be connected to the demon kidnappings Chief was telling us about,”

 

Jinyoung’s eyes widened with Jaebum’s words.  If Yugyeom had truly been taken by the demons, there was no telling what they’d do to him.

 

“We need to tell Rain about this.  Maybe he can help us find Yugyeom before its too late,”

 

“I’m stuck here until the end of my shift, but I’ll meet you at the coffee shop tonight and you can fill me in on the details?”

 

“Consider it a plan,” Jinyoung replied.  He placed a supportive hand on Jaebum’s shoulder, “don’t worry Jaebum, we’ll find him and get him back safely,”

 

Jaebum closed his eyes and breathed deeply before nodding.

 

“Thank you so much Jinyoung,”

 

…

 

“Alright, so this is the info we’ve managed to gather so far,” Junho said, spreading out a large paper map across one of the tables in the coffee shop.  Rain had closed the place down early so they wouldn’t have any interruptions.  Jinyoung was too anxious to even sit down; he was pacing back and forth near the front door while Junho, Rain and Youngjae hovered around the map, “all of the disappearances have been within the town limits of Mirage Valley.  All of the people taken have been between the ages of 13 and 19, and all of them have been returned to their homes within 48 hours,”

 

“None of this fits the usual demon profile,” Rain shook his head, “they usually cause chaos because they feed off the negative energy produced by humans.  That means they’d rather torture someone and kill them instead of returning them safely to where they were taken from,”

 

“There’s something that’s not being accounted for here,” Youngjae interjected, holding up a book that looked to be significantly older than the United States of America, “the ancient legends.  Stories about demonic possession,”

 

“Wait a minute, I read something about that,” Jinyoung said, moving over to the table where everyone else was standing, “in the encyclopedia it said that Pure Demons have the ability to possess human bodies, but they abandoned the practice about 200 years ago since they could harness more negativity from just killing people instead,”

 

“That’s true.  The Slayer Order hasn’t encountered a case of demonic possession since the Salem Witch Trials,” Junho replied, “it’s not a reasonable source of sustenance for them anymore,”

 

“But what if they aren’t doing it as a means of sustenance?” Youngjae posited, “what if they’re simply taking over the human bodies and keeping them under control for some larger purpose?”

 

“Like a secret invasion…” Rain mumbled, “if that’s true, then we need to find where your friend is being kept before they take him over,”

 

“The encyclopedia says that demons can’t survive in the human world for too long.  Meaning they must have some way of accessing the underworld, right?” Jinyoung wondered aloud.

 

“Yeah, it’s called a Nexus Point and we figured they’ve gotta have one somewhere in town, but we haven’t been able to find it despite our best efforts,” Junho explained.

 

“There’s one potential way we could find it, but I’m not sure if I have enough skill to pull it off,” Youngjae said, “there’s a spell that I could use to pinpoint the part of town with the highest concentration of negative energy.  But it takes a lot of focus.  I’ll need somewhere quiet,”

 

“You can use my room, in the basement,” Jinyoung offered.

 

“That will work perfectly,” Youngjae said with a nod, clutching his book tightly to his chest and hastily walking down to the basement.  Almost as soon as Youngjae was gone, the front door opened and Jaebum rushed inside, still wearing his apron from work.  He was covered in pizza sauce, and the bags beneath his eyes were even more visible than they had been earlier that day.

 

“What’s going on, have you guys found out anything?” he asked, frantic.

 

“Jaebum, calm down,” Jinyoung said as calmly as he could manage, “have a seat, Youngjae’s working on it right now,”

 

Jaebum sighed and sat down in one of the booths as Jinyoung sat across from him.

 

“Sorry I’m just freaked out,” Jaebum said, wiping a tear from his eye before it could fall, “Yugyeom’s one of my best friends and I saw that thing in the woods and… I’m absolutely fucking terrified for him,”

 

“I know, I’m sorry,” Jinyoung responded, his gaze drifting down to Jaebum’s shaking hands on the table, “can I… hold your hands?”

 

Jaebum looked up at Jinyoung, his eyes wide and full of sadness.  Just the sight of him made Jinyoung’s heart break in half.

 

“Please,” he replied, barely above a whisper.  Jinyoung closed his hands around Jaebum’s slightly larger ones, trying his best to calm the other boy’s nerves.

 

“Everything’s gonna be just fine, I promise,”

 

Jinyoung wanted to do more; he wanted to pull Jaebum into a hug, kiss him and let him know the world hadn’t ended, but that clearly wasn’t an option so holding his hands was the best he could offer.  He didn’t have a chance to say much else before Youngjae reemerged from the basement, a smile stretched across his face.  His hair was stuck to his forehead from sweat, and he looked as though he could barely stand.

 

“That incantation took a lot out of me,” he said, sitting down on a bar stool, “but it worked! There’s a nightclub further in town called Sabbath; given all the negative energy swirling around that place, it has to be the Nexus Point,”

 

“Great work Youngjae! No chores for the rest of the week,” Junho said, patting the boy on the head, “let’s get moving Rain,”

 

As Rain and Junho prepared to head out, Jinyoung stepped into their path.

 

“Hold on, Jaebum and I are going with you!”

 

“No way, it’s too dangerous for the two of you, you’ve barely had any combat training,” Rain said sternly.

 

“I don’t give a fuck about that,” Jaebum snapped, “Yugyeom needs me and I’m _going,”_

Rain and Junho exchanged glances for a few moments before either of them said anything.

 

“Fine, but you’re not going without these,” Junho headed out of the café, waving for the boys to follow him.  His car was parked out front, and he rummaged around in the trunk for a few moments before handing the boys two small amulets.  Each one was engraved with an ornate design, looking like almost like a pentagram.

 

“What are they?” Jaebum asked.

 

“They’re called Warp Seals,” Junho said, “different ones work differently, depending on the level of magic poured into them.  But these will transport you back to the café.  If anything goes wrong, you’re both coming back here immediately,”

 

“Deal,” Jinyoung and Jaebum said simultaneously.

 

Jinyoung had absolutely no idea what he should expect when they got to Sabbath, but one thing was clear; he wasn’t giving up until Yugyeom was home safe and Jaebum was satisfied.

 


	6. Chapter 6

Jinyoung tried not to stare, but he couldn’t keep his eyes off Jaebum as he drove.  The ride was quiet except for the steady hum of the engine; neither of them could think of anything appropriate to say, given the circumstances.  Jaebum was intently following Rain’s black mustang, his eyes narrowed on the road ahead.

 

“Um, Jaebum?” Jinyoung finally spoke up, unable to handle the silence anymore.

 

“Hm?”

 

“Have you ever heard of this place before? Sabbath?”

 

“Yeah,” Jaebum nodded, “Jackson used to work there. He was a stripper,”

 

Jinyoung’s eyes widened.

 

“Really? But didn’t he just turn eighteen?”

 

“Yeah. That’s why they fired him.  Found out he was too young,”

 

“Damn…”

 

“He said that fucked up shit happens there.  More than just drugs, sex and liquor.  Like, hardcore shit,” Jaebum continued, “said he would’ve probably quit if they hadn’t fired him,”

 

“Youngjae said it’s the place in town with the highest amount of negative energy, so that makes sense,” Jinyoung said, “I just really hope Yugyeom’s alright,”

 

“Yeah, same,” Jaebum mumbled, “we’re coming up on the place now,”

 

The part of town they’d found themselves in was quite different from anywhere else in Mirage Valley.  The buildings looked old and rugged with broken and boarded up windows.  Trash littered the ground and there was a noticeable homeless population.  Jinyoung couldn’t help but wonder how a place like this could even exist in a town as idyllic as Mirage Valley.

 

He and Jaebum got out of the car and joined Rain and Junho in front of Sabbath.  The building itself looked something like a church on the outside; it even had stained glass windows.  Jinyoung could see flashing coming from inside and feel the bass from the music pounding in his chest.

 

“Alright you two.  Stick close to us,” Junho said, popping open the trunk of his car to reveal a myriad of weaponry, “Rain, take your pick,”

 

“Ebony and Ivory baby,” Rain said with a smirk, taking two pistols; one with a white handle, and the other with a black one, “either of you boys got any experience with guns?”

 

“Uh, not at all,” Jinyoung shook his head.  Jaebum went for the bulky-looking rifle.

 

“I used to go hunting with Yugyeom and his dad on the weekends.  I’m pretty sure I remember how to use one of these,”

 

Jinyoung looked around in the trunk for a few moments; he saw swords, pistols, even a few grenades… but nothing he had any knowledge of how to use.  Rain clearly noticed the dilemma, and unclipped the knife hanging from his belt before tossing it to Jinyoung.

 

“You’re giving me this?” Jinyoung asked.

 

“Yeah.  My dad gave it to me when I first became a Slayer.  Wasn’t much older than you are now,” Rain explained, “like everything else we’ve got, it’s enchanted.  It’ll cut through demons like a knife through cheesecake.  But be careful, you’ve gotta get in close for the kill,”

 

Jinyoung looked down at the Latin inscription on the knife.

 

_Bonum ex malo non fit_

He had no idea what the hell it meant, but he somehow found it comforting as he clipped the knife to his own belt.

 

“Alright, we need a plan of entry.  We don’t wanna draw too much attention to ourselves,” Junho said, “any ideas?”

 

“Stealth has never really been my jam,” Rain shrugged, “I’ll cause a scene, you guys sneak in and find the Nexus Point,”

 

With that, Rain headed inside.  Everything was relatively calm for a moment, until multiple gunshots rang out, lighting up the windows with flash after flash.

 

“Sounds like our cue.  We’ll head in from there,” Junho said, pointing up to the roof, “follow me,”

 

Jinyoung and Jaebum followed closely behind Junho as he made his way to the alley adjacent to the building and swiftly ascended the fire escape.  It was clear that he’d done this many times before, but it took the two boys considerably longer to scale it.  Once they were all on the roof, Junho pointed out a vent that they could use to drop inside.

 

“Alright, I’ll go in first and wave when it’s safe for the two of you to come in,” Junho said, popping open the vent cover and slipping inside with grace.  Jinyoung looked down through the opening and could vaguely see the inside of the club.  Smoke covered pretty much everything, but he could scarcely make out the shapes of people running around frantically from Rain’s gunshots.  The area where Junho dropped down was elevated above everything else; it almost looked like a sort of catwalk suspended high above the floor, though Jinyoung had no idea what its purpose might have been.  A few moments later, Junho waved that the coast was clear.

 

“Let me help you,” Jaebum offered, a hint of concern flashing across his face.  Jinyoung nodded, stepping closer to the opening and allowing Jaebum to place his hands on his hips, helping to ease him down through the hole without him falling.  Jinyoung landed on the catwalk and took a second to regain his balance.  Once he was inside he could see his surroundings much more clearly.

 

The club looked like a dark reflection of a catholic church, matching the aesthetic of the exterior.  Giant murals of goat-headed monsters were painted on the ceiling, and the walls were blood red.  If this truly was the demons’ base of operations, they certainly weren’t subtle.

 

A second or two later, Jaebum dropped down, rattling the catwalk a bit with his landing.  Junho pointed ahead of them to the far end of the catwalk, turning their attention to an oddly placed door.  It seemed like that was where the Nexus Point might be located.  The three of them moved slowly and deliberately across the narrow walkway, with Jinyoung trying not to wince from Rain’s repeated yet random gunfire.  He wasn’t sure who or what he was shooting at, and he honestly didn’t want to know.

 

They got to the door and Junho tried to open it, but he instantly jerked his hand away after touching the handle.

 

“The damn thing is charmed,” he said, looking at his palm which now sported a nasty burn mark, “that pretty much confirms that the Nexus Point is on the other side, but we’ll have to get creative if we wanna get through,”

 

“The encyclopedia says that demonic charms can only be overcome with angelic magic.  You wouldn’t happen to know any angels, would you?” Jinyoung wondered.

 

“Not any that are easy to get a hold of,” Junho replied, shaking his head, “we might be screwed here,”

 

Before Jinyoung could say anything else, his attention was diverted by a faint blue light in his peripheral vision.  It was none other than the blue butterfly, which fluttered around his face for a moment before landing on the door.  Within seconds of it touching the surface, the door swung open, allowing them access.

 

“What the hell just happened?” Jaebum asked.

 

“So no one else can see that thing?” Jinyoung was confused, “there’s been this little blue butterfly that’s popped up at random times since I moved here.  I thought I might’ve been going crazy, but it must be supernatural,”

 

“Magic ghost butterflies huh? Well, I guess I’ve heard of stranger things,” Junho shrugged, “let’s get inside,”

 

Just from peering through the doorway, there looked to be nothing on the other side of the door except for janitorial supplies… that was, until the three of them stepped through…

 

On the other side of the door was a literal hellscape.  Jinyoung choked and coughed from the intense smell of smoke and brimstone, and the heat was nearly enough to make him pass out.  They were standing on a cliffside overlooking a lake of molten lava, and in the distance there were a seemingly infinite number of volcanoes with plumes of thick, black smoke that darkened the sky.

 

“Holy fuck.  Hell is actually real… does this mean God is real too? Because it doesn’t say anything about that in the encyclopedia,” Jaebum said softly, his eyes wide in shock.

 

“There are gods, but not _that_ one,” Junho said quickly, “now let’s go, we can’t linger here too long,”

 

“Where exactly are we going?” Jinyoung wondered as Junho started to climb down the cliffside.

 

“The Castello di Hades; whoever’s in charge of this place at any given time sets up shop there.  If Yugyeom’s here, that’s where he’s being held,”

 

Jinyoung and Jaebum slowly followed Junho down the cliffside, with Jinyoung breathing deeply and trying not to slip the entire time.

 

“You got this, you got this,” he chanted to himself as they made their descent.  Eventually they made it to the ground, right in front of a dilapidated old iron bridge that crossed the lava.  On the other side was a sprawling, twisted castle.  It was in horrible disrepair; the were holes in the walls and the windows were all blown out.  It didn’t look like anyone could possibly live there.

 

“That’s it,” Junho said, taking a small vial of blood out of his pocket.  He dabbed a bit on his finger before dotting his forehead with it and then doing the same to Jinyoung and Jaebum, “only those with demon blood can get through the invisible barrier and cross the bridge.  This’ll be enough to get us in,”

 

Junho started heading across the bridge, but Jinyoung got a sick feeling in his stomach before he followed.  He honestly wasn’t sure if he could do it; the fact that he was standing in the actual Underworld was a lot to process. No amount of reading from an encyclopedia could prepare him for what he was currently experiencing.  Maybe Rain and Junho were right; maybe he really _wasn’t_ ready.  It seemed as though Jaebum read Jinyoung’s thoughts, since he grabbed his hand and held it tight.

 

“I’m scared too,” he said softly, “I don’t know how this is gonna end, or if we’re even gonna make it back home.  But I do know that I have to take this chance.  I have to save Yugyeom, whatever it takes,”

 

“I know, and I can’t… I _won’t_ let you do it alone,” Jinyoung said, reaffirming his commitment.

 

“Listen, in case we don’t make it back alive… I just have to tell you that I really, really like you Jinyoung. You’re really something special and I’m so glad you moved to Mirage Valley,”

 

Jinyoung’s entire face went red, and not just from the overwhelming heat.  He couldn’t properly find the words to respond to Jaebum’s confession… so he simply pulled him in for a kiss; pressing his plump lips against Jaebum’s soft ones.  Jaebum stiffened in surprise for a moment, but he quickly relaxed and melted into the kiss, holding Jinyoung’s hand even tighter until they were forced to separate just so they could breathe.

 

“That was incredible,” Jaebum said with a sigh, “hopefully there’s more where that came from,”

 

“There will be, after we save Yugyeom.  Let’s go,” Jinyoung said, feeling a sense of ease as he and Jaebum raced across the bridge to catch up with Junho.

 

Whatever was waiting for them within those castle walls didn’t matter in the slightest; he was determined to rescue their friend.


End file.
